Sports Mole

On the back of a historically poor Premier League performance, Tottenham Hotspur host Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

The Lilywhites were toothless to the extreme in Saturday's 1-0 loss to London derby rivals Chelsea, setting an unwanted club Expected Goals (xG) record in front of the home faithful.

Spurs also needed Guglielmo Vicario to bail them out in their last Champions League contest - a 0-0 draw with Monaco which left them 15th in the league-phase table.

Here, Sports Mole rounds up all of Tottenham's latest injury and suspension news ahead of their clash with Copenhagen, who have claimed just one point from their first three Champions League proper matches so far this term.

Lucas Bergvall

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Concussion

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Lucas Bergvall had to be withdrawn just seven minutes into the defeat to Chelsea due to a concussion, and as he will now follow the necessary protocols, he should not be back in action for Tottenham until after the international break.

Archie Gray

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Calf

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Archie Gray sustained a blow to his calf in the goalless stalemate with Monaco on UCL matchday three, and the youngster is also not anticipated to return this side of the national team hiatus.

Ben Davies

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Thigh

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Ben Davies suffered a thigh injury during Wales' World Cup 2026 Qualifying clash with Belgium last month, and it will be another few weeks at least before the Welshman is considered for selection.

Yves Bissouma

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Yves Bissouma had only just made his return from one problem before hurting his ankle in Mali colours last month, and the midfielder will be recovering from surgery for the foreseeable future.

Kota Takai

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Quadriceps

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Kota Takai sustained a thigh injury shortly after battling back from a foot problem, but he will soon rejoin team training and may finally come into contention for a belated first-team debut later this month.

Radu Dragusin

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Radu Dragusin has spent the past 10 months rehabilitating from an ACL injury, but he is now "fully integrated" into team training and is expected to play a friendly during the international break before a long-awaited Premier League return.

Dejan Kulusevski

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â Unknown

Dejan Kulusevski is further behind than Dragusin in his recovery from last season's severe knee problem, and the Swede will not be considered for selection for another few weeks yet.

James Maddison

Status: Out

Type of injury:Â Knee

Possible return date:Â Unknown

James Maddison will be the last cab off the rank for Tottenham, as the playmaker tore his ACL in pre-season and is not expected to play a single minute of competitive football this term.

Dominic Solanke

Status:Â Out

Type of injury:Â Ankle

Possible return date:Â November 23 (vs. Arsenal)

Dominic Solanke needed an operation to correct a troublesome ankle injury, but his absence is not especially long-term, and he might be back in contention for the North London derby on November 23.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SUSPENSION LIST

Tottenham have no players suspended for this match, but Richarlison and Micky van de Ven are one yellow card away from a UCL ban.

No Data Analysis info

An extremely Tottenham Hotspur side set a new unwanted club Premier League record in their 1-0 loss to London rivals Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Spurs boss Thomas Frank sought a response to his side's 2-0 EFL Cup fourth-round defeat to Newcastle United in midweek, but his players were more toothless than ever up front.

A first-half Joao Pedro strike was all that was needed to settle a normally chaotic contest between the two capital clubs, and Chelsea have now triumphed in each of their last five matches with the Lilywhites in all competitions.

All of Xavi Simons, Randal Kolo Muani, Brennan Johnson, Mohammed Kudus and Richarlison were unable to lay a glove on the Blues' defence, and a particularly damning statistic told the story of Spurs' day.

The Europa League champions generated a paltry 0.05 Expected Goals (xG) throughout the evening, their lowest on record in a Premier League game since such data became available in the 2012-13 season.

Tottenham set unwanted xG club record in Chelsea defeat

In none of Spurs' previous 503 Premier League matches since August 2012 had they totalled fewer Expected Goals, highlighting just how ineffective Frank's attacking forces were in the London derby.

The Lilywhites only mustered three attempts all evening - one of which was on target - whereas Chelsea had 15 shots and nine on target while fashioning 2.92 xG at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

As was the case against Monaco in the Champions League, Spurs largely had Guglielmo Vicario to thank for the one-goal scoreline, as the Italy international made eight saves and prevented 2.17 goals in North London.

The manner of the defeat and emotion of the occasion was too much for two of his defenders to take, though, as Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven appeared to snub Frank entirely when he tried to persuade the pair to clap the fans at full time.

Spence and Van de Ven stormed past their manager towards the tunnel, leaving Frank to look back on them bewildered for several seconds before eventually making his way further onto the pitch.

Spurs 0-1 Chelsea: Thomas Frank explains Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence incident

Frank was inevitably asked about the incident in his post-match press conference, but the Dane side-stepped the question and played down the snub, saying: "All the players are of course frustrated," as quoted by football.london.

"They would like to do well, they would like to win, they would like to perform well, so I understand that. I think it is about which is difficult to be consistent in good times and in bad times.

"That is why I went around to the fans as I did. It is more fun when we win, I can tell you that. I understand why you ask the question, but I think that is one of the small issues.

"We have Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence who are doing everything they can. They perform very well so far this season and everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way, so I don’t think it is a big problem."

Tottenham now sit eight points behind leaders Arsenal in the Premier League table and have won just two of their last eight games in all competitions ahead of Tuesday's Champions League battle with Copenhagen.

No Data Analysis info

Hoping to climb into the top eight of the Champions League, out-of-form Tottenham Hotspur will welcome Copenhagen to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.

Thomas Frank's Spurs are currently 15th in the competition and have gone unbeaten so far, but they come into this clash on the back of consecutive domestic defeats, including a 1-0 loss against bitter rivals Chelsea on Saturday.

As for Byens Hold, they reside in 32nd place, and having earned just a single point from their three matches to date, they will be desperate to avoid losing yet again.

Here, Sports Mole provides all the details you need to know about how to catch Tuesday's Champions League clash.

What time does Tottenham Hotspur vs. Copenhagen kick off?

The Lilywhites kick off against Copenhagen at 8:00pm on Tuesday, November 4 for those in the UK.

Where is Tottenham Hotspur vs. Copenhagen being played?

How to watch Tottenham Hotspur vs. Copenhagen in the UK

TV channels

Viewers can see this game live on the TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate TV channels.

Streaming

The match will also be available to stream via Discovery+ if fans have purchased the subscription option that includes the TNT Sports add-on.

Discovery+ with TNT Sports is also accessible via the Amazon Prime Video app.

Highlights

Key events will be posted on the FootballOnTNT X (formerly Twitter) account, while highlights will be uploaded to the TNT Sports Football YouTube channel after full time.

Who will win Tottenham Hotspur vs. Copenhagen?

Tottenham are unbeaten in the Champions League this term after taking all three points in a 1-0 victory against Villarreal on matchday one, before a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt and a rare goalless stalemate with Monaco on October 22.

That decline in results occurred as part of a wider pattern that has led to Frank's side winning just one of their last five games across all competitions, losing three and drawing the other.

Additionally, while playing at home would typically benefit a club in strife, the Lilywhites have lost back-to-back matches on their own turf ahead of this fixture, being defeated 2-1 by Aston Villa on October 19 and 1-0 by Chelsea at the weekend.

As for Jacob Neestrup's Copenhagen, they commendably kicked off their Champions League campaign by drawing 2-2 with Bayer Leverkusen, but they have since failed to collect a single point after losing 2-0 to Qarabag at the start of last month and 4-2 against Borussia Dortmund on October 21.

However, the Danish Superliga champions bounced back from a five-game winless run by earning consecutive victories prior to this continental clash, including a 3-2 triumph over Fredericia on Saturday.

With that in mind, Spurs will be desperate to get back on track but they may be low on confidence, in contrast to their resurgent opponents, so expect to see a closer contest than the disparity between the respective clubs' leagues would suggest.

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has opted to leave Estevao Willian on the substitutes' bench for Saturday's Premier League fixture at Tottenham Hotspur.

After impressing alongside Jamie Gittens against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, both wingers had been in contention to start in North London.

Instead, the pair have been kept in reserve with Ajejandro Garnacho being recalled despite an indifferent start to life with the Blues.

Maresca has instead taken the opportunity to recall Malo Gusto, who will either play at right-back or in centre-midfield with Reece James taking the other role.

Wesley Fofana has got the nod ahead of Josh Acheampong in the centre of defence, while Joao Pedro has been named in the number nine position.

Frank names four centre-midfielders in Spurs XI against Chelsea

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank has taken the decision to name four central-midfielders in his Spurs XI.

Pape Matar Sarr and Lucas Bergvall have been recalled to the team despite Joao Palhinha and Rodrigo Bentancur also keeping their spots.

Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons are the players to drop out of team, with Bergvall expected to line up in the final third.

While Cristian Romero has returned to the squad after injury, Frank has avoided the temptation of selecting the Argentina international.

A possibility of starting with a back three had been suggested, but Spurs appear to be lining up with a back four unless Palhinha is deployed in a deeper role.

Tottenham Hotspur XI: Vicario; Pedro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Palhinha, Bentancur; Bergvall, Kudus; Kolo Muani

Subs: Kinsky, Xavi, Richarlison, Tel, Udogie, Romero, Johnson, Odobert, Scarlett

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; James, Caicedo; Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Pedro

Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Acheampong, Hato, Lavia, Santos, Estevao, Gittens, George

No Data Analysis info

Thomas Frank has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur duo Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie are available to face Chelsea on Saturday in the Premier League.

Romero picked up a minor adductor injury during warm-up ahead of the Aston Villa clash, and not only missed the game, but also remained absent against Monaco and Everton.Â

Left-back Udogie has not played since October 4 and has missed Spurs' last four games in all competitions due to knee issues, but like Romero, he has also recovered fully.Â

Frank, however, has refused to give a definite answer as to whether they will be in the starting line-up, but suggested that he will make the final decision after consulting with the medical team.Â

Change in formation if Romero returns?Â

Ahead of the match, the Spurs boss told reporters: "I am very aware of trying to be able to take the best possible decisions. In the end, I will get a lot of information from the medical and performance staff, but in the end, it's always on me.

"If a player breaks down, then it's on me. I take decisions, I get all of the information, and then I need to take a difficult, brave or easy choice.

"If he [Romero] was fit enough, he'd have been involved Wednesday [Carabao Cup loss at Newcastle], so he's ready to be involved tomorrow and let's see how much."

In the absence of Romero, Frank has used Kevin Danso and Micky van de Ven at the back in the 3-0 win against Everton, while Joao Palhinha came in place of the Dutchman in the 2-0 defeat against Newcastle United.Â

Danso was superb against the Toffees, and therefore Romero's return could open a lot of tactical possibilities for Frank, including a switch to a back five, a system which could cause Chelsea problems.Â

Djed Spence has started in seven Premier League games this season, but Udogie could replace him in the starting XI in the crucial London derby.Â

Spurs injury update on trioÂ

Frank has confirmed that Wilson Odobert, who missed Tottenham's last two games, is also in contention to face the Blues.Â

Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke is not yet ready to return to training anytime soon, after the striker underwent a minor ankle surgery, and he is likely to return after the November international break.Â

Spurs have badly missed Dejan Kulusevski this season, and the Swedish winger is not yet on the grass following his knee surgery in the summer.Â

Chelsea will be hoping to extend an unusual Thomas Frank streak when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.

The Blues make the short trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium sitting in ninth position in the Premier League table, six places behind Spurs who have the opportunity to progress into second.

However, there are just three points separating the two London rivals ahead of a match that could prove pivotal for the remainder of the campaign.

Spurs are viewed as the favourites to overcome Enzo Maresca's side, despite their indifferent record on home territory during 2025-26.

That said, if Spurs emerge victorious this weekend, it will see Frank record a career first in games against Chelsea.

What can Thomas Frank achieve against Chelsea?

The Dane possesses a terrific head-to-head record with Chelsea with three wins, three draws and two defeats coming in eight Premier League fixtures as Brentford head coach.

Nevertheless, each of his three triumphs have come at Stamford Bridge, subsequently meaning that Frank has failed to record a home Premier League victory against the West Londoners.

That record coincides with Chelsea having put together the strongest record at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Premier League fixtures since 2019.

Incredibly, Chelsea have won five of their six top-flight games at the stadium, their solitary defeat coming by a 2-0 scoreline in February 2023.

Ahead of Saturday's showdown, that represents Spurs' only victory over Chelsea in the last 13 Premier League matches between the sides.

Goals from set-pieces in Spurs, Chelsea game guaranteed?

While Arsenal have scored the most goals from corners in this season's Premier League with seven, Chelsea and Spurs are next on the list with six and five respectively.

Spurs are also second in this particular list when extended over the last two seasons at a time when Chelsea's lack of height may prove to be an issue.

As it stands, 29.4% of Spurs' goals in the 2025-26 Premier League have come from headers.

No Data Analysis info

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is expected to recall several big-hitters to his starting XI when the Magpies face West Ham United at the London Stadium in Sunday's Premier League showdown.

The Englishman made a handful of changes for Wednesday's EFL Cup fourth-round battle with Tottenham Hotspur, which paid off to the maximum as Newcastle strode to a 2-0 victory.

Howe does have an impending Champions League match against Athletic Bilbao to prepare for - the Spanish side visit St James' Park next Wednesday - but he is likely to revert to a full-strength XI against West Ham nonetheless.

As a result, wingers Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon can expect to be recalled alongside towering striker Nick Woltemade, whose header in midweek made it six goals from his first 11 appearances for Newcastle.

Brazilian boys Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes are primed to come back into the midfield too - the latter was responsible for the Magpies' late winner against Fulham last weekend - but Sandro Tonali may be retained over Lewis Miley.

Sven Botman was taken off on the 61-minute mark against the Cottagers on October 25 due to a knock, but the Dutchman was an unused substitute in the Spurs win and should therefore be fine to return to the backline.

Goalscorer Fabian Schar should therefore prepare to be sacrificed, as Malick Thiaw has also established himself as a regular starter and recently won Newcastle's October Player of the Month award.

Dan Burn is a defensive shoo-in too, but Emil Krafth and Aaron Ramsdale will no doubt make way for Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope in the capital.

Newcastle United possible starting lineup:

Pope; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Burn; Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Woltemade, Gordon

> Click here to see how West Ham could line up for this game

No Data Analysis info

Chelsea striker Liam Delap will serve a one-match suspension when the Blues face Tottenham Hotspur away from home in Saturday's Premier League London derby.

The summer signing returned from injury off the bench in Wednesday's 4-3 EFL Cup fourth-round win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but he was only on the pitch for 25 minutes before being dismissed for two bookable offences.

As red cards count across all competitions, Delap will sit out Saturday's derby after his "very stupid" dismissal, in the words of his manager Enzo Maresca.

The striker will therefore form part of a sextet of absentees for the visitors, who are also without the services of Cole Palmer (groin), Dario Essugo (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (muscle), Levi Colwill (knee) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension) for the time being.

Before Delap returned from his thigh problem, Maresca went with Marc Guiu up front and Joao Pedro just behind him in last weekend's 2-1 loss to Sunderland, but the Italian could now consider an alteration.

Andrey Santos was one of the stars of the show for Chelsea in midweek with a goal and assist, so the Brazilian could operate in the number 10 slot behind Pedro, who will also receive support from Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto.

Jamie Gittens could hardly have done more for a start here - setting up two goals and scoring a cracker of his own at Molineux - but he admitted to fatigue after the game, so a well-rested Garnacho should be given priority.

Further back, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo will return to the double pivot, while a full complement of changes at the back should see Robert Sanchez, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah and Marc Cucurella all come back in.

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Santos, Garnacho; Pedro

> Click here to see how Spurs could line up for this game

No Data Analysis info

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Thomas Frank is likely to make a handful of changes for Saturday's Premier League London derby at home to Chelsea.

The Lilywhites crashed out of the EFL Cup by virtue of a 2-0 fourth-round loss to Newcastle United on Wednesday night, where Frank was without a staggering 12 players due to injury.

Yves Bissouma (ankle), Kota Takai (ankle), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Radu Dragusin (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Ben Davies (thigh) remain on the sidelines, while Cristian Romero (adductor), Destiny Udogie (knee), Archie Gray (calf) and Wilson Odobert (abdominal) are all doubts at the time of writing.

Frank also confirmed that number one goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was an enforced absentee in the cup, but he also stressed that the Italian would be given the all-clear to face the Club World Cup winners this weekend.

Both Vicario and Micky van de Ven - the hero of last weekend's 3-0 win at Everton with a brilliant brace - are expected to return to the backline, joining Pedro Porro, Djed Spence and Kevin Danso if Romero does not recover in time.

Van de Ven's return ought to push Joao Palhinha into his recognisable midfield role alongside Rodrigo Bentancur, while Lucas Bergvall may have done enough to continue just ahead of the double pivot.

If so, Xavi Simons will have free roam of the left wing and left half-spaces, while Mohammed Kudus and Randal Kolo Muani are likely to displace Brennan Johnson and Richarlison respectively.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Bergvall, Simons; Kolo Muani

> Click here to see how Chelsea could line up for this game

No Data Analysis info

A London derby that rarely fails to deliver endless entertainment, Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea on Saturday in the pick of this weekend's Premier League fixtures.

The fierce rivals enter gameweek 10 on the back of contrasting EFL Cup results, as Spurs were dumped out by Newcastle United while the Blues edged a seven-goal spectacular with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Match preview

One shot at domestic silverware has already passed Thomas Frank by, as his consistently inconsistent Tottenham side were no match for Newcastle's aerial prowess at St James' Park on Wednesday evening.

Two headers from Fabian Schar and the towering Nick Woltemade was all it took for the Magpies to eliminate Spurs from the fourth round of the EFL Cup, the rudest of rude awakenings for the Lilywhites after their statement Premier League success a few days beforehand.

The Europa League winners became the first side to sink Everton at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium home, where flying Dutchman Micky van de Ven inspired Tottenham to their fifth Premier League win of the campaign with a brilliant brace before Pape Sarr also got in on the act.

A run of just one win from five games does not paint a pretty picture for Tottenham, but the Premier League table arguably does - only leaders Arsenal and second-placed Bournemouth are better off than Spurs, who sit five points below the Gunners after nine games.

However, the hosts do not have their home form to thank for their bronze medal placement - Tottenham have taken just one point from their last three top-flight games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where only Burnley have succumbed to defeat in the Premier League this term.

Such a statistic spells pessimism against a Chelsea side rejoicing in their third consecutive win away from home, albeit an incredibly hard-fought one, as Premier League basement boys Wolves came close but no cigar to pulling off a captivating EFL Cup comeback.

Despite the customary Chelsea red card - this time to Liam Delap - the Club World Cup winners' young guns did the damage in an absorbing 4-3 success, one that was particularly momentous for the history of English football.

Indeed, the seven-goal thriller marked the first time that a Premier League side had four different scorers aged 21 or under in a single game, but neither Chelsea's juvenile prospects nor senior stars could prevent the Blues from falling to a shock loss to Sunderland in the top flight.

That 2-1 upset at Stamford Bridge - Chelsea's third loss in five league games - left Maresca's men in an unremarkable ninth in the standings, and only twice before have the visitors lost four times in their opening 10 matches of a Premier League campaign.

However, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is a particularly happy haunt for Chelsea, whose unforgettable 4-3 success there last season represented their fifth Premier League victory at the ground - no visiting team has won more.

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Chelsea Premier League form:

Chelsea form (all competitions):

Team News

Currently navigating their way around the worst injury crisis in the Premier League, Tottenham have concerns in the double figures ahead of Saturday's game, which Yves Bissouma (ankle), Kota Takai (ankle), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Radu Dragusin (knee), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee) and Ben Davies (thigh) will definitely miss.

Cristian Romero (adductor), Destiny Udogie (knee), Archie Gray (calf) and Wilson Odobert (abdominal) will all need once-overs ahead of the derby too, but Frank has affirmed that Guglielmo Vicario - an enforced absentee against Newcastle - will be fine for the visit of the Blues.

In brighter news, a well-rested Van de Ven will return to his rightful role in the Lilywhites' backline, while Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Randal Kolo Muani are all in contention to start up front.

However, Chelsea's attacking options have once again been hit by a disciplinary blow, as Delap serves a one-game ban for picking up two yellow cards at Molineux on Wednesday evening.

The former Manchester City youngster - whose sending-off was slammed as "very stupid" by Maresca - will be one of six Blues absentees on Saturday alongside Cole Palmer (groin), Dario Essugo (thigh), Benoit Badiashile (muscle), Levi Colwill (knee) and Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping suspension).

Maresca went with both Joao Pedro and Marc Guiu in central roles against Sunderland, but Andrey Santos ought to have played his way into a start this weekend, but Jamie Gittens may lose out to a well-rested Alejandro Garnacho despite his goal and two assists in midweek.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Vicario; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Palhinha; Kudus, Bergvall, Simons; Kolo Muani

Chelsea possible starting lineup:

Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Neto, Santos, Garnacho; Pedro

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Chelsea

Â

Chaos is so often the order of the day when Spurs face Chelsea at home, and with the Blues sharing 16 goals across their last three games in all tournaments, Saturday is likely to be no different.

Confidently predicting which version of Frank's Tottenham will show up is a fool's errand, and the Lilywhites are equally effective and vulnerable from dead-ball situations, so a gripping draw could be on the cards here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Â

No Data Analysis info

Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!